From This Day Forth

Chapter 21 - On his Trail

  "James, Sirius!  How lovely to see you!"

  "Good to see you back in the land of the living Em," Sirius replied.  "We’re here professionally, though."

  "Where’re Lily and Remus."

  "Waiting outside." James informed her.  They’d only let two of us in."

  "Stupid people." Emily said light heartedly.  "What do you need to know?"

  "Pretty much everything."  James replied.  "We’ve got some clues as to the identity of your attacker, but we need to know what he or she looked like.  Then we can go through the files and see if we can find a match."

  "He was male." Emily told them, shortly.  "Tall, muscular about a million tattoo’s.  Black eyes."

  "Before or after you were at him?" Sirius asked.

  "No, his eyes were black, same as yours are brown.  He had black hair as well, and a moustache. 

Ugly, his face was kinda disfigured.  Definitely not someone you’d want to see in the dark."

       As she was talking, Sirius muttered a spell, and a picture of a male fitting the description Emily gave wavered in the air.

  "Is this right?" he asked her.

  "Not quite.  A bit more- there!" After making a few adaptations, Emily looked at him triumphantly. 

"That’s your man."

  "Thanks Em." James transferred the picture to a notebook.  "We’ll be back some time socially."

  "James, Sirius, before you go, can I ask you a favour?" Emily began. 

  "Depends what it is." James replied.

  "Contact Bobbie, Roberta Gillymedows, you know, and get her involved.  I reckon she might just be able to help you.  And if you want me for anything, just come along and I’ll give you a hand."

  "Thanks for the offer Emily, but I think we’re actually supposed to figure this out on our own.  But we’ll get Bobbie involved if you like.  I’ll ask Lil to owl her later, while we see if we can get a match in the files."

  "Thanks guys.  See you later."

  "See you Em."  The two men left the room satisfied that they had all the information that they needed.

       That evening, five people were grouped in James’ apartment, discussing strategies.

  "It doesn’t help that there are identical twins fitting the description," Bobbie said, irritated.  "And neither of them have tattoo’s according to that ancient thing." She was referring to the magical machine that found exact likenesses to a picture drawn up by the aurors.

  "The best bet is to split up and track both of them," Lily began.  "Then, if they both have tattoo’s we’ll just have to bring both of them in, and deduce it from there."

  "But we can’t split up evenly." Remus pointed out.

  "So we find a temp." Lily said, softly.  The others looked at her, astonished.  By temp, she meant free lance auror, and as a rule, they tended to be shunned by the BSA. 

  "Everyone from Thump on up will want our guts if we do that." Sirius told her.

  "Well everyone from Thump on up are elitist bigots who don’t deserve to hold positions of responsibility." Lily replied, fiercely.

  "Or," Bobbie said, "Lily and I will go to one brother, and you guys can take the other."

  "But then one of them won’t have a partner." Lily objected.

  "Yeah, but Lil, there are three of them. So it doesn’t matter.  Okay guys?"  The boys nodded assent.  "Well, what are we waiting for?  Let’s find the addresses and get going."

       Lily and Bobbie were tracking the eldest of the twins - Jacob Marliosa.  They apparated to his home town in Nottingham, and staked out the building.  Eventually, when Bobbie had serious cramp, and Lily was contemplating developing a new strategy, the man in question appeared.  Lily nudged Bobbie, who jumped and looked in the direction Lily was pointing. 

  "Well," she whispered, "he fits Emily’s description.  What are we going to do?"  The she noticed a suspiciously devious look on Lily’s face.  "Lily?"

  "We follow him." Lily said, simply.

  "Why?" Bobbie asked, frankly.

  "Because," Lily replied, "if he’s the man we’re after then he’s off on another ‘lets attack some poor unsuspecting target’ mission.  If we catch him red handed it’ll be that much easier to get a conviction."

  "That, Lily my dear, is a good plan." Bobbie concurred.  And so the two of them followed their ominous suspect to an out of the way house.  When he entered, Lily looked at Bobbie, and nodded.  The two of them hurriedly followed him in, careful to remain hidden from view.

  Who are you?"

  "That, sweetheart, is something you don’t need to know.  Let’s just say I could be a friend, but I make a bad enemy."

  "Take whatever you want and go!" the woman said frantically.

  "Now now, is that any way to treat a guest?" Jacob Marliosa taunted.  "You’re coming with me." 

The woman reached for her wand.  "Now now, that’s not very friendly, is it?  Cr-"  Before he could finish cursing the woman, Bobbie and Lily appeared, and disarmed him.  Then, leaving Lily with a restrained Marliosa, Bobbie went over to the woman.

  "Excuse me, I’m Roberta Gillymedows from the BSA.  Would you mind coming with us?  We need a statement."  The woman nodded assent, and four figures disapparated.

       Back at auror HQ, Sirius, James and Remus greeted Lily, Bobbie and their companions.

  "How did it go?" Bobbie asked them, curiously.

  "Jack Marliosa isn’t our man." James replied.  "He’s like a lovesick teenager.  It’s gross!"

  "Who does that remind you of?" Sirius asked James, innocently.

  "Looks like you had more success than we did." Remus nodded towards Lily and Bobbie’s captive and the woman.

  "Caught him in the act." Lily replied, smugly.  "I’m going to see to the lady, you guys can get Marliosa down to the brig."

Chapter 22 - Trial and Sentence

       Jacob Marliosa’s trial date was set in the middle of April.  By the time the day came, Emily was completely recovered, and consequently, able to give evidence.

  "What do you reckon’ll happen?" she asked Bobbie, just before the trial.  The two of them had become the best of friends, and had also been accepted at the BSA central office, meaning that they now worked with Lily, James, Sirius and Remus.

  "We caught him red handed, so I don’t think he’ll get off, if that’s what you’re asking." Bobbie told her complacently.  "It’s not a case of will he get sentenced, it’s a case of what will the sentence be. 

Are you ready?"

  "As I’ll ever be."

       Emily, Bobbie, Lily and James were all witnesses at the trial, on behalf of the prosecution. 

They waited nervously outside the courtroom as the trial commenced, joined by the woman that Lily and Bobbie had rescued when they detained Marliosa - Jenna Uliguy.

  "If there’s one part of the job I hate," Lily began, "it’s this one."  Before anyone could reply, a clerk called.

  "Miss Samuelson?"

  "Good luck Em." Bobbie smiled.  "Knock ‘em for six."

       Nervously, Emily stood on the witness stand and took her oath. 

  "Miss Samuelson," the lawyer, Mr Jones, began, "what were you doing on the evening of the 20th

March this year?"

  "Well," Emily began, "I was staying with my friend, Lily Trevallion, at her apartment near the BSA headquarters.  First of all, I spoke to my dad-"

  "What about?" the lawyer asked.

  "I was telling him how I planned to stay here, and get a job at the BSA.  Anyway, then I wrote to my friend Roberta Gillymedows, about being my partner.  I’d just got her reply when I was interrupted by the door opening.  Well, I thought it was Lily- Lily Trevallion-"

  "Where had Miss Trevallion been?" the lawyer asked.

  "Lily had been out with James Potter, her fiancé.  They invited me, but I’d arranged to speak to my father, so I couldn’t go along.  Anyway, I asked Lily if she’d had a good time, and a man replied that he wasn’t Lily but he was planning on having a good time.  Naturally I was confused.  Well, I asked his name, and he said I didn’t need to know, that he was a friend, and that I’d be going with him.  So I reached for my wand, and he told me he wouldn’t do that if he was me, and began to hurl curses at me.  Well, I blocked them as best I could, but quite frankly, dueling isn’t something that I’ve ever spent hours practising, and he was better at it than I was.  I stayed defensive, but eventually he got the better of me.  I remember hearing a laugh, and the next thing I can remember is waking up in hospital."

  "Thank you Miss Samuelson.  No more questions."  Then it was the defence lawyers turn to cross-examine.  He suggested that Emily had provoked attack by reaching for her wand.  Emily replied frankly.

  "I suppose it was possible, but look at it this way.  I was alone in a place that I’m still learning my way around, and a strange guy turns up and starts leering towards me.  What would you do?  Invite him in for a cup of tea.  And I certainly didn’t throw the first curse."

    Eventually the cross examination was over, and Emily was free to leave the stand.  The next witness was Lily.  She explained in simple terms what she had found on her return from her outing with James, and what occurred afterwards.  She then went on to explain what they had done to catch Marliosa.

  "So you set up a trap for him?" the defence lawyer asked her.  Lily disagreed.

  "No.  We just followed him where he chose to go.  We wouldn’t have had time to set up a trap, besides which there was only Roberta Gillymedows and myself at the scene, and both of us were involved in tracking Marliosa.  Anyway, I’m an auror; it’s my job to make the best of any situation I’m thrown into.  And even if it was a trap, the fact that Marliosa was attacking Jenna Uliguy is pretty incriminating."

       When, at last, the day was over, they’d all finished being interrogated.  Lily was indignant, feeling that the defence lawyer had undermined her professionalism, and Bobbie too was feeling the smart of his tongue.  Sentencing was to take place the next day, and all of them hoped that he would get a long time in Azkaban.

       The next morning dawned bright and sunshiny.  Bobbie said it should have been dull and gloomy to add effect to the trial, but Emily told her that the sunshine reflected how she’d feel when

Jacob Marliosa was firmly behind bars.

       In the courtroom, the atmosphere was tense.  Then the jury delivered their verdict.  Guilty.  The judge sentenced Marliosa to ten years in Azkaban, and the Aurors rejoiced.

       Later, at Sirius apartment, they all got together.  Emily sighed contentedly.

  "Thank goodness that’s over," she began.  "Now all we’ve got left to worry about is Lily and

James’ wedding."

  "Worry about it?" Lily frowned at her.  "What’s to worry about?  You don’t think I’ve spent three and a half years doing nothing do you?  I’ve had it planned since I was about three!"  She smirked at James, who looked slightly disconcerted.  "Don’t worry, dear, I promise you won’t have to wear tights."  Then she burst into gales of laughter at his expression.  "It’s all right James, I’m only joking!" she said in between chuckles.  He looked incredibly relieved.  But Emily had a point.  The wedding was in two months.

Chapter 23 - Preparations

       At the beginning of May it was a case of all systems go at the Trevallion house.  The wedding reception was to take place there, and Evie and Hugo Trevallion were determined that everything should be perfect.  When Petunia, their elder daughter, had married, the reception had been at the local hall.  But Lily wasn’t Petunia, and she had laughed when the possibility was suggested.  After consulting with James, she asked her parents if they would object to her having it at home.  They had been touched, and now they were busy ensuring that everything was in place.

       Felicity Evans was working in the Trevallion’s huge garden.  She had been put in charge of decorating the house, and weeding the garden, a job that had taken several weekends to perfect.  She planned on doing the flower arrangements the day before the wedding, to ensure that they stayed fresh, but that didn’t mean that she could completely forget about them.

       The rehearsal was a week before the wedding itself.  Lily, her father, Flick, Kat and Kat’s friend, Amy Militaris all went to the church.  After speaking to Debbie and Paul Militaris Lily had decided that Kat had a point, and Amy joined the wedding list.  They arrived outside the gothic church, and Kat and Amy looked at it in awe.

  "It’s huge." Kat breathed.

  "Pretty." Amy informed her.  "Very pretty."

       They met James and Sirius, and then went off to find the vicar.  When he turned up, he looked at Felicity and Sirius who were sharing a joke arm in arm.

  "Are you ready?" he asked them.  Looking at Sirius’ face, then at each other, Lily and James spluttered.

  "Not us," Flick informed him, "them." 

  "Oh, sorry," the minister turned to Lily and James.  "Are you ready?" he asked them.  They nodded assent, and everything went well.  After half an hour, they were happy that everything was perfect and went off home.

       Two days before the wedding, James had a stag night.  Thinking about it, Lily came to the conclusion that in his case it was more appropriate than anybody else’s.  Anyway, she didn’t know the details of what went on, and she had no intention of finding out.  The words underwear and flag seemed to be associated with each other, and on discovering this, she kept well away.

       The day before the wedding was incredibly hectic.  There was so little time, and so many things to see to.

  "It’s manic," Lily gasped at her fiancé, when he came to help.  "I’ve been up since five.  Go and ask mum.  I’ve got a million and one things to do - orders from her.  No one would believe it was our wedding."  Smiling at her dishevelled look, James found Evie Trevallion in the kitchen, and was told to ensure that his parents had rooms in the hotel, and to put up a camp bed in Kat’s room, as Amy was staying the night.  He did so without any fuss.  He got on well with Evie and Hugo Trevallion, and he wanted it to stay that way.

       Finally, everything was ready, and James was gone.  Evie and Flick were putting Kat to bed, and Lily was left with her father.  Hugo regarded his younger daughter sombrely.  This was the last night that she was to be completely his.  There had always been a special bond between Hugo and Lily, and he couldn’t help but wonder whether it would be broken.  His beautiful red head smiled at him, and sneaked on to his lap.  He was transported back to the time when she had truly been his little girl; sneaking in exactly the same way after her mother had sent her to bed.  Lily smiled at him.

  "Do you remember the day mum found out that I didn’t stay in bed once she put me there?" she asked, "I used to come downstairs, and visit you in the study, and I wouldn’t go to bed unless you carried me there."

  "Right little madam you were," her father smiled.  "I don’t know who was more disappointed when Evie found out - you or me.  I don’t know Lil, you grew up so fast.  I can remember the first time I saw you.  You and Pet were the best thing that ever happened to me.  I remember your first day at school.  You were so proud of that pinafore and sweatshirt, your mum had a hard job getting them off of you.  And you always used to come and find out what I’d done at work."

  "But really I wanted to tell you about school." Lily smiled.  "I remember."

  "Now look at you," her father went on.  "All grown up, and a credit to your mother and I.  You’ve always been special, Lily, never forget that.  And no matter what happens - where you go, or what you do, you’ll always be my baby, and I’ll always love you."

  "I love you too Daddy."  Lily replied, softly, and as she had done so many years ago, she kissed his cheek, and left him to his thoughts.

Chapter 24 - Dearly Beloved

       Kat and Amy were up at the crack of dawn on the morning of the wedding.  They made quite a contrast with each other — Kat was fair and had eyes of deepest, darkest blue while Amy had dark hair and hazel eyes.  Both girls were small, but where Kat was dimpled, Amy was incredibly skinny thanks to prolonged illness, although she was beginning to fill out.  The two of them bounded into Felicity’s room.

  "Morning Flick!" Kat shook her elder sister awake.

  "Kat!" Felicity moaned.  "What time is it?"

  "Don’t know." Kat replied, glibly.  "I don’t have a watch!"  Felicity glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

  "Katherine Marie Evans!  It’s five o’clock in the morning!  Come back at seven, and I might see about getting you breakfast."  With that, Felicity rolled over and went back to her well-deserved slumbers.  Kat looked at Amy who shrugged, and then the two of them went back to Kat’s bedroom, and got back into bed.  Very soon, they were fast asleep.

       At seven o’clock, Kat woke with a start, excited all over again.  She shook her friend gently, and the two of them made their way to Flick’s room once more.  Only Felicity wasn’t there.

  "Where is she?" Amy asked.

  "Dunno." Kat replied.  "Let’s find Lily."  And with she danced towards the door of Lily’s room.  She would have opened it, but before she could she was interrupted by a melodic voice.

  "Kat?  Amy?  What are you doing?"  Lily looked at them in astonishment. 

  "Looking for you." Amy told her.  "Morning Lily."

  "Morning Amy.  Morning Kat.  I suggest we all go downstairs and get some breakfast before doing anything else."  Inwardly, Lily groaned.  The prospect of food made her feel quite sick.  But the three of them set off for the kitchen, where they were greeted by Felicity, who shoved bowls of cornflakes in front of the girls, and offered Lily some toast.  Lily eyed it with disgust, but took a slice none the less, and sat crumbling it.

  "You’re supposed to eat the food Lily." Flick admonished her.  Lily smiled weakly, and then started to eat her breakfast.  Slowly.  It took her half an hour to finish one slice of toast, and when she was done, Evie was washing the little girls, and getting them dressed.

       When Kat and Amy had finished in the bathroom, Lily locked herself in there for an hour.  By the time she had finished, Felicity was frantic.

  "Lily!  The weddings at eleven, and it’s half eight now.  Aunt Evie, Uncle Hugo and I still need to wash you know.  We’ve only got two and a half hours left!"

       However, by ten o’clock, they were all nearly ready.  Felicity appeared, her shoulder length brown tresses sopping wet from a wash, although she had got as far as her petticoat.  She muttered a spell, and her hair was dry.  After running a brush through it, she sat in front of Evie Trevallion.  Evie was a hairdresser, and Lily had asked her to organise everyone.   When she had finished with Felicity and the little girls, Evie turned to her youngest daughter.  She smiled as she saw the curly masses floating down Lily’s back.  Burnishing them with a brush, she set the veil and tiara of flowers on to Lily’s head, and then turned the girl around to look at her.  The sight brought tears to her eyes, although she smiled through them.  Lily looked like a fairy tale princess.  She was completely different to her elder sister.  Petunia had wanted a ‘traditional’ wedding complete with meringue, frills and flourishes.  Lily’s dress looked incredibly simple, a plain ivory dress with ruffled sleeves with an overdress of white brocade.  It was unconventional, and it was stunning.  Lily had always been pretty, but in that dress, she looked surreal. 

  "Aunt Evie!  We’ve got to go." Felicity poked her head around the door.  Evie nodded and wiped away her tears.  She looked at Lily one last time, and then Lily rose on to the tips of her toes and kissed her mother.

  "One last time, eh mum." she smiled.  "Next time I do that, I’ll be Lily Potter."  Evie smiled and nodded, before kissing her daughter.

  "Go and find your father," she told her daughter.  "He’s probably moping in the garden.  And remember - no more than five minutes late."

  "Yes mum."  Lily blew her mother one last kiss, and then ran off to find her father.  Evie laughed.  Lily had always been like that.  Blasé about everything.

       Meanwhile, James and Sirius had made it as far as the church, and Sirius was doing his best to calm his friend down.  Sadly, his best wasn’t very good.  James was pacing the vestry when Flick appeared.

  "Hi guys, how’re you doing?  Sirius, your cravat’s wonky.  Here," and she straightened it.  "James, chill out.  Lily was ready to leave when I left; only she had to find Uncle Hugo.  Aunt Evie said he was in the garden, so he’s probably having a tête at tête with Lil.  Aunt Evie told her she’s to be no more than five minutes late, and knowing Lily, she’ll cut four minutes off of that time.  I’ve got to go. Kat and Amy have probably given the vicar a heart attack by now.  Oh, and James?" James looked at her.  "Good Luck."

       It was exactly one minute past eleven when the organist began to play the bridal march, and Lily and her entourage started their procession down the long aisle.  People gasped at the beauty of the scene.  Kat and Amy were at the head of the procession, in plain sashed dresses of blue and green.  A solitary Felicity attired in the same colours and with the same simplicity followed them. 

Then, a radiant bride and her father drew up the rear.  James and Sirius stood waiting at the front, and when Lily reached them she whispered.

  "No dung bombs," and smiled at them, breaking the tension.  Then all of them turned to face the vicar.

  "God is love, and those who live in love live in God: and God lives in them." The service began. 

After Sirius and Remus had finished the readings, and the vicar completed his sermon, they came to the actual marriage part of the service.

  "...James, will you take Lily to be your wife?  Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

  "I will." James answered firmly.  The priest turned to Lily.

"Lily, will you take James to be your husband?  Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

  "I will." Lily replied.  Then the priest received Lily’s right hand from her father, and gave it to James.

  "I, James Matthew, take you Lily Alexandra, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish and worship, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law; and this is my solemn vow."  Then Lily took James’ right hand.

"I, Lily Alexandra, take you James Matthew, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish and obey, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law; and this is my solemn vow."  Then the vicar took the rings from Sirius, and blessed them.  They were exchanged, and then the vicar spoke again.

  "In the presence of God, and before this congregation, James and Lily have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other.  They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of a ring.  I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife."  The service was completed, and Lily and James, Felicity and Sirius, Katherine and Amy, Evie and Hugo Trevallion and Edward and Helena Potter went to sign the register.  The first thing

Lily did after signing her last Lily A. Trevallion was to kiss her father and mother.  Sirius raised his eyebrows at her, and James smiled.

  "What?" she asked.  "They’re my mum and dad.  I just threw away their name, don’t you think they deserve some kind of thanks for the twenty one years they put up with me?"  Then she turned to Edward and Helena Potter, and kissed them.  Helena’s eyes twinkled.  Finally, Lily turned to her husband, and threw her arms around him.  After kissing him, she smiled at the assorted company. 

"Everyone finished?  Then off we go."

       They left the church in a flurry of activity, and within half an hour they were all at the Trevallion’s home.  Everyone sat down at the long tables that had been set up on the lawn, and it was time for speeches.  Sirius, as best man, went first.

Chapter 25 - Together forever

        "Flowers, apparently, are important at weddings.  Well, James is all right then, he’s got a flower of his own.  Lily will cause me severe bodily harm for that crack, but it has to be said.  Lily of course, will disagree, and I advise James to agree with her, because there are three rules in married life, which apparently apply to every couple.  James, here’s a set for you.

1.Lily will always be right.

2.If Lily is wrong, refer to rule number one.

3.Lily can be wrong if she chooses to be so, and if it is in her best interests.

       Now, weddings are supposed to be times of sheer embarrassment for the couple involved.  It just so happens that I have some compromising pictures of James and Lily, which I’ve, had enlarged.  This was taken at six o’clock in the morning, and what they were doing on top of the astronomy tower, I don’t want to know.  Knowing the two of them, arranging something compromising.  I have others, but they’re too embarrassing, and I don’t think Felicity would appreciate it if James returned the favour at our wedding.  They are however, available on demand, and can be purchased if you wish to do so, although I’m not sure why you’d want one.

       Having said all that, I have to be serious.  Which of course I am.  Lil and James are a fantastic couple, and I’d like to propose a toast. To Lily and James, may they live to a ripe old age without too many marital feuds.  James, you have my number.  If she gets violent, just call."  Amid laughter, Sirius sat down, only to be thumped by Lily on one side, and Felicity on the other.  Then Flick stood up.

 "Normally at this point James would toast the bridesmaids, but before he does that, I have a few things to say.  Mainly because Lily was complaining that only men get to make speeches the other day.  I have it on good authority that James once said that if he married Lily he’d be marrying a sergeant major.  Lil, much as I love you, he was right.  However, I’d like to issue a few words of warning. 

       Children.  If you must have them, I hope that you pity them accordingly.  With parents like James and Lily the poor kids will have a lot to live up to, and if they’re a redheaded James they have my sympathy.

       Food.  Make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy at all times, as I know both of you are liable to forget that you’re cooking something and go off and work.

       Business.  Never mix business with pleasure.  It always goes pear shaped.  I admit this warning’s probably come a bit late, but there we go.  And James, if you have to curse people, try not to attack Lily in the process.

       I’d love to toast myself, but Lily told me that it would be egotistical.  So I told James to do it. Anyway, as the brides best woman, or maid of honour, or whatever they’re called, I’d like to say this:  Lil, you’re the best friend a girl could have, and make sure you let him know who’s the boss."

  "Flick, Sirius, thanks.  Apparently I have to say something that doesn’t involve insulting my wife. I’d have thought the words my wife were insulting enough, but anyway.  I’d like to thank Evie and Hugo Trevallion for bringing Lil up to be the treasure she is, and for hosting us today.  Thanks chaps.  I’d also like to mention my own parents, who have put up with bedlam since I could crawl.  I blame my father.  So does my mother, but never mind.  I’d like to propose a toast to the bridesmaids - Kat, Amy and Flick, for looking terribly pretty, and not overshadowing the bride.  And I think that’s about it.  Enjoy the food, and have fun."

       Then Hugo Trevallion stood up. 

  "I’d like to congratulate Lily and James, and I have one thing to say.  It’s your dance."  James smiled at him, and then at Lily, stood up, and offered her his hand.  She accepted, and whispered to him.

  "James, what exactly are we dancing to?"  James shook his head, and then the band struck up, as the bride and groom took centre stage.

  "Lily!  Congratulations my dear!  How are you?  Lovely wedding, and to think, the last time I saw the two of you was at Petty’s wedding.  Speaking of which, where is Petunia?"

  "On holiday." Lily replied, eyes going cold all of a sudden.

  "Now?  Oh well, never mind.  Look, there’s your mother, I’ll go and speak to her." and Maureen disappeared.  James bent down, and whispered into Lily’s ear.

  "Don’t let it get to you.  You know you’d have hated it if Petunia had been here anyway."

  "Didn’t mean she had to book her holiday to coincide with my wedding though, did it?  I endured her stupid reception, she could have returned the favour." Lily hissed back. 

  "Never mind, sweetie.  Let’s go and find my mum and dad.  It’ll be more fun for you." so off they went, and had a good long natter with Helena and Edward Potter. 

       The festivities went on for hours, but at five o’clock, Lily and James had to leave.  Smiling at everyone, Lily threw her bouquet.  A rather startled looking Emily caught it.  Lily smiled at her, and then waved goodbye to everyone.

       They arrived at their destination at seven o’clock, just as the sun was setting and onlookers saw two figures perched on a rock silhouetted against the setting sun, with eyes for none but each other.  It seemed as if they were part of the landscape, and as it drew dark, they faded from view, as though they were together for all eternity.

THE END

DISCLAIMER:  Okay folks, this is a long one.  First of all, the marriage service comes from the Alternative Service Book, published in 1980, but I have it on good authority that it’s historically correct.  Copyright for that belongs to the Central Board of Finance of the Church of England.  And if you wanted to know, it’s obsolete now anyway, because now we have to use the Book of Common Worship.  The song - ‘Green Eyes’, copyright for that belongs to Edward B. Marks Music Company.  That’s also historically accurate, as it was published in 1931.  A lot of this stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling.  Any stuff that you’re sure isn’t someone else’s is mine.  If you visit my website, then there’s a picture of the wedding party (there's one in the fan-art gallery here at the QP, too!), and you can also access the midi file for Green Eyes. 

 Well, it’s finally over.  They made it as far as the altar.  This is good.  I have to admit that the sentimentalist in me actually cried when I was writing the wedding scenes, well, it was all really beautiful, and I’m not sure that I’ve quite got what I saw in my mind’s eye onto paper, but I’ve tried.  I’ve got more planned, so look out for it.  And those of you who want more MWPP school stuff are in luck.  Keep an eye out - more is coming!  Thanks for reading!

Hallie U